SAN ANTONIO — An analysis of the 2002 National Health Interview Survey data has put a specific figure on what clinicians probably already knew intuitively: Almost 40% of arthritis patients have significant physical limitations.
Findings from the survey, which asked the respondents if a physician had ever diagnosed them as having arthritis, indicated that an estimated 21% of U.S. adults had been told they had arthritis.
If the patients responded that they had arthritis, they were then asked if they had any limitations and were asked 12 specific questions about those limitations.
Overall, 38% of the respondents said that they were limited by their condition.
Extrapolated to the population, the figures translate into an estimated 43 million Americans with arthritis, of whom 16 million have limitations from their disease, said Jennifer M. Hootman, Ph.D., an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology.
Among those who reported limitations, 69% reported at least one of the nine specific functional limitations, and 31% either did not specify or reported only that they had limitations in at least one of three general activities, without being specific.
The most common specific limitation was being unable to stoop or bend, reported by 49% of those with limitations.
Others included: inability to stand for 2 hours (47%), walk a quarter of a mile (37%), push a heavy object (32%), climb stairs (30%), and lift and carry 10 pounds (23%).
The general activity that was reported to be limited most commonly was shopping, reported by 17% of those with limitations.
The good news is that of the factors that were found to be associated with physical limitations from arthritis, the most important one, being overweight, defined as a body mass index of greater than 25, was modifiable, Dr. Hootman noted in her presentation.
“Common sense says reducing weight can improve disability,” Dr. Hootman said.
The survey responses did not identify whether the individuals interviewed had osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.